Japanese with Manga

Too much to handle on top of class representative duties with 荷が重い

Idiom Explanation: More than one can handle with 荷が重い

Manga panel from orange showing example of Too much to handle on top of class representative duties with 荷が重い.
orange » Volume 3 » Page 121

Takako and Azu tell their teacher they want to participate in the sports day relay race. The teacher points out that participants have already been decided, then one of the decided participants chimes in.

生徒(せいと):
「私(わたし)もクラス代表(だいひょう)はちょっと荷(に)が重(おも)いなと思(おも)っていたので…」
“I was also thinking I have too much on my plate as class representative.”
「できれば代(か)わってもらえたら嬉(うれ)しいです」
“I'd be happy if I could switch out.”

Key Points

1荷(に)が重(おも)い = “too much to carry” and therefore “too much to handle”
  • Literally it means “the load is heavy”.
  • In this scene it is figurative: being class representative already feels like too much responsibility.
2Softening with ちょっと and と思(おも)っていた
  • ちょっと softens the complaint so it does not sound blunt.
  • と思(おも)っていた makes it sound reflective and tentative, like “I had been thinking…”
3Why the line ends with ので…
  • The ので gives a reason for the next request.
  • It leads into the next line: because this feels like too much, she would like someone else to take over.

See Also

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